Wendy McConnell, West Delray, Florida High School Teacher, Investigated for Sexual Misconduct

Wendy McConnell, West Delray, Florida high school teacher, is under investigation for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student, a press release said Wednesday. So far, McConnell has not been charged with any crime. Police are currently conducting an investigation to determine whether the accusations are true. It is unclear whether McConnell has obtained an attorney.

According to reports, McConnell is a science teacher at American Heritage School, located on Linton Boulevard in Boca Delray. American Heritage School has around 1,100 students ranging in age from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. The school said they performed a background check on McConnell, which came back clean, before hiring her. Sources say McConnell teaches teenagers aged 14-18 and works with the school’s Academy program, which specializes in the teaching students with learning difficulties.

McConnell has been with the school for two years and her teaching contract is set to expire in June. The school placed McConnell on paid leave following reports of the alleged relationship. A representative with the school said McConnell will remain on paid leave until her contract expires; whether they renew that contract will depend on the outcome of the investigation, reports say.

A school official first learned of the purported illicit relationship a couple of weeks ago, sources indicate. There are currently few details available as to the identity of the purported victim and the nature of the alleged relationship. It is also unclear who reported the relationship.

The school made the decision not to notify parents of the allegations until they started their own investigation. “When we put [McConnell] on leave, we felt we should wait for direction from the Sheriff’s Office [to act further],” a spokesperson for the school said. On Friday, the school sent an email to parents alerting them of the allegation. The email read, “[American Heritage School] has received a report that an employee within our community is having or has had an improper relationship with a student.” No further details were given.
Some sex crimes are more public than others. Robert John Judy of St. Augustine was arrested Sunday after he was accused of standing beside a busy street stark naked, reports say. Judy, 58, was booked into the St. John’s County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer. It is currently unclear whether he qualified for bail or hired legal representation.

According to reports, the incident occurred around 5:00 Sunday evening alongside State Road 16 in St. Augustine. A motorist called police and informed them that Judy was blocking traffic and standing on the side of the road wearing nothing but a pair of sneakers. An officer found Judy on the scene, still naked, a police report reportedly says.

Judy was allegedly intoxicated, and when the officer attempted to put Judy in his squad car, Judy purportedly pulled away. Reports say Judy stiffened his arms so the police officer could not handcuff him. Despite these apparent efforts, the officer was eventually able to put Judy in the car.